Energy Minister Halushchenko asks NCER to ban electricity imports from Russia, Belarus

Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko asks Valeriy Tarasiuk, head of the the National Commission for Energy, Housing and Utilities Services Regulation (NCER), to prohibit the import of electricity from Russia and Belarus on the basis of the Ukrenergo Certification Law No. 1396-IX, which gave him such a right.

"The Ministry of Energy appeals to NCER with a request to use the right provided by Law No. 1396-IX and to prohibit the import of electricity from countries that are not parties to the Energy Community (the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus), having made an appropriate decision," Halushchenko's letter dated May 17, which the Energoreform has at its disposal, says.

According to the minister, stated in the letter, the orientation towards the import of electricity from non-member countries of the Energy Community contradicts the strategic goals of Ukraine in the field of energy and potentially threatens energy security.

One of these strategic goals, the minister called the integration of the energy system of Ukraine ENTSO-E, pointing out the preparations for the separation of the integrated power system of Ukraine from parallel work with the energy systems of the Russian Federation and Belarus with further connection to the European network.

At the same time, he noted that a key requirement during the accession of the integrated power system of Ukraine to ENTSO-E is to ensure the sufficiency of its own generating capacities to cover the projected demand for electricity. At the same time, according to him, imports worsen the financial and economic condition of electricity producers, the quality of the schedule for repairs of generating equipment at power plants and thermal power plants, and also negatively affects the coal mining industry.

In addition, this negatively affects the ability of manufacturers to ensure the purchase of fuel in sufficient volumes for a stable passage of the autumn-winter period, the letter says.

"As a result, the risks of violation of the security of electricity supplies and the operational security of the integrated power system of Ukraine are increasing, which threatens its future synchronization with ENTSO-E," Haluschenko summed up.

Source: www.en.interfax.com.ua